Homepage

‘Fake news’ and disinformation spread quickly in the digital age. By the time they can be exposed and skewed narratives corrected, our democratic fabric is already damaged. Trust in the very concepts of truth, fact and reality is undermined. Even worse, elections might be manipulated or swung.

On 22 February 2018, the European Political Strategy Centre hosted five leading international experts for a High-Level Hearing on ‘Preserving Democracy in the Digital Age’ to intellectually accompany the European Commission’s ongoing public consultation on ‘fake news’ and online disinformation.

In the run-up to the May 2019 elections, the debate over the Spitzenkandidaten process – first introduced in 2014 – has been reignited. Introducing a visibility contest for the top executive job in the European Union, with lead candidates competing for the post through campaigns across the EU, rather than through the meanders of the political process, was certainly not an uncontroversial innovation.

It has already borne its fruits, strengthening the connection between the three EU institutions, and paving the way for a more political Commission. But, with some small improvements, what started out as an experiment has the potential to be reproduced and strengthened, contributing to making European democracy more complete.

As the EU prepares to relaunch itself as a Union of twenty-seven in 2019, the time is ripe to reduce its institutional complexity. It is not only foreign dignitaries who are confused by the EU’s multitude of leaders; Europe’s very own citizens are often similarly unaware of who speaks on their behalf. Too often still there is an artificial division perceived between the European Commission and the Member States.

The creation of a single figure at the helm of the EU, combining the functions of the President of the European Commission and the European Council would generate considerable benefits in terms of transparency, democratic legitimacy and operational efficiency. With the right political will, the shift could be fairly straightforward in procedural terms. And a window of opportunity is just around the corner.

Latest

‘Fake news’ and disinformation spread quickly in the digital age. By the time they can be exposed and skewed narratives corrected, our democratic fabric is already damaged. Trust in the very concepts of truth, fact and reality is undermined. Even worse, elections might be manipulated or swung.

On 22 February 2018, the European Political Strategy Centre hosted five leading international experts for a High-Level Hearing on ‘Preserving Democracy in the Digital Age’ to intellectually accompany the European Commission’s ongoing public consultation on ‘fake news’ and online disinformation.

As the EU prepares to relaunch itself as a Union of twenty-seven in 2019, the time is ripe to reduce its institutional complexity. It is not only foreign dignitaries who are confused by the EU’s multitude of leaders; Europe’s very own citizens are often similarly unaware of who speaks on their behalf. Too often still there is an artificial division perceived between the European Commission and the Member States.

The creation of a single figure at the helm of the EU, combining the functions of the President of the European Commission and the European Council would generate considerable benefits in terms of transparency, democratic legitimacy and operational efficiency. With the right political will, the shift could be fairly straightforward in procedural terms. And a window of opportunity is just around the corner.

In the run-up to the May 2019 elections, the debate over the Spitzenkandidaten process – first introduced in 2014 – has been reignited. Introducing a visibility contest for the top executive job in the European Union, with lead candidates competing for the post through campaigns across the EU, rather than through the meanders of the political process, was certainly not an uncontroversial innovation.

It has already borne its fruits, strengthening the connection between the three EU institutions, and paving the way for a more political Commission. But, with some small improvements, what started out as an experiment has the potential to be reproduced and strengthened, contributing to making European democracy more complete.

Today, about 244 million people live outside their country of birth. That's 3% of humanity. Migration has always been changing, but the ways it intersects with socio-economic, demographic and technological transformations are now reshaping it in unprecedented ways.

What are the 10 trends currently shaping the way people migrate and migration policies?

EPSC in Brief

The European Political Strategy Centre (EPSC) is composed of a professional staff of advisers, policy analysts and support staff with appropriate experience and track record, in order to provide professional and targeted policy advice to the President and the College.